nited Societies of Balkans is a Non Governmental Organization, founded in Thessaloniki in 2008, by a team of active young people. The organization was created as a response to the pressure of constant changes in the Balkan and Eastern European region and under the need for the creation of a better social environment. Key areas of the organization’s activities concern the defense of human rights, the organization of youth exchanges and training courses, which will bring young people from Balkans and Europe together, the organization of local educational seminars and multimedia production (web radio, videos, documentaries).
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ain goals of the organization: -To promote the values of non formal learning, volunteering, active citizenship and democracy for the creation of a better future for European youth. -To promote human rights, solidarity and respect for diversity. -To build healthy cooperation bridges between countries of the Balkan area and that of Eastern Europe with the rest of Europe. -To locate and multiply the special cultural attributes of our societies. -The break down of prejudices and stereotypes between Balkan countries.
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free press bimonthly magazine created by the volunteers of United Societies of Balkans
General Director Aristodimos Paraschou Authors of the Issue Ayse Burcu Atabey Angeliki Mavromati Annemiek Schrijver Christina Kontaxi Giorgio Buonsante Jelena Vujanovic Matteo Scarpa Michela Gennari Okan Atalay Philipa Nikolova Editors Ayse Burcu Atabey Giorgio Buonsante Philipa Nikolova
United Societies of Balkans Alamanas 9, Agios Pavlos, 55438 Thessaloniki (GR) Tel/Fax: (+30) 2310 215629 E-mail: info@usbngo.gr Web Radio: www.usb-onair.gr United Societies of Balkans
Corrector Alexia Kalaitzi Designer Temmuz Onur Deniz G端zel
@USBngo
United Societies of Balkans NGO
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he summer is here: It’s time for fun, beaches, friends and ‌ nice music! Sounds good, right? All you need to do is to plan, organize, take your flip-flops and have a nice time. We all dream of escaping from the city to enjoy the nature in the company of the biggest names from the world music stage. Check our suggestions and make your choice, they are diverse so for sure you are gonna find your perfect place.
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Balkan Fests
Spirit of Burgas Place: BULGARIA, Burgas, central beach Edition: 6th edition Dates: 27th, 28th July Genres: Hip-Hop, Reggae, Drum and Base, Punk, Soul, Dubstep, Ska Price: 2 days ticket – 55 euros, 1 day ticket – 35 euros Camping: No Activities: No
his year’s edition of the biggest music event in Bulgaria “Spirit of Burgas” will welcome for the sixth time some of the hottest artists of the world music scene. The intense program will offer various style of artists from almost all music genres – reggae, hip-hop, drum and base, punk, soul, hardcore, dubstep and many others. The biggest surprise for the audience is Wu - Tang Clan who will visit Bulgaria for the first time. Some of the names that will perform are those of the crazy pop-rap duo Rizzle Kicks, the pearl Selah Sue, Chase and Status Dj Live, the reggae legent little Roy, the festival beasts Che Sudaka and then explodive Enter Shikar.
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’estfest is the first Romanian international festival recognized in the music industry as one of the biggest events of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe. It actually was the only Romanian music festival included in the Top 20 European Festivals (Times, 2009 & Guardian, 2011). In this year edition, you can hear on the main stage Nas, Nneka, Chase and Status Live, Entershikari. There will be also a hardcore punk stage with local bands. On the dance arena with breakbeat, electro, dubstep the special guests will be Joker and Noisia. The new elements of this year’s edition are the Silent Discoteque zone where you can enjoy Disco, House, Glitch and Funk using headphones and also a music platform Rock Arena with acoustic rock.
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B’estfest Place: ROMANIA, park Tunari (close to Bucharest) Edition: 7th edition Dates: 5th, 6th, 7th July Genres: Hip-Hop, Pop Rock, Drum and Base, Punk, Soul, Reggae, Punk, Hardcore, Metal Price: 3 days ticket – 45 euros, 1-day ticket – 23 euros Camping: 9 euros for 3 days Activities: BMX competition, playground, lounge area, sports, art and crafts workshops, games, movies, theatre, international cuisine.
Balkan Fests
Exit Place: SERBIA, Novi Sad, Petrovadin fortress Editions: 14th edition Dates: 10th -14th July Genres: All Price: 5 days ticket – 75 euros Camping: 26 euros for 5 days
xit is one of the biggest European festivals, taking place at the Petrovardin Medieval fortress. The location is unique: there are twenty stages and six hundred artists. The combination of serious headliners and impressive architecture makes the festival one of the favorite ones of the European public. Some of the names that will perform this year are David Guetta, Fatboy Slim, Snoop Lion, Chace abd Status set, Diplo, dj Fresh live, Dubfire, The Prodigy and many more.
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uca (Gucha) is the most famous Folk Festival in Serbia. Every August, accompanied by the sound of trumpet, gunshots and big fireworks, the largest of all national festival – Guca trumpet festival begins. Guca becomes the capital of trumpet, unique place in the world. The experience reminds the movies of Kusturika. Great music and people singing on the streets…
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Guca Trumpet Festival Place: SERBIA, Guca Editions: 52th edition Dates: 5th – 11th August Genres: Balkan, trumpet Price: Free entry Camping: Six euro per night Activities: Photo exhibition, press conference, traditional crafts, competition
Philipa Nikolova
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The Passion of Flamenco
The Passion of Flamenco orn from the expression of persecuted people, southern Spain flamenco is a unique blend of influences and musical complexity. It has its roots in a decree made in Spain in 1492 by the Catholic Spanish King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella which states everyone living under the domain should convert to Catholicism. This proclamation was issued under the threat of worrying degrees of punishment; the most severe was the death penalty by immolation. Gypsies, Muslims, Jews… Everyone living in Spain at the time was ordered to convert. It’s believed that, because of this decree, these different ethnic groups started to help each other and, within this melting of cultures, flamenco was born. It became their collective expression of anguish and protest against oppression. The city where the first cries of flamenco were heard, Jerez, now hosts an annual flamenco festival that attracts thousands of visitors from all over around. Flamenco fans can be found in almost every country. And I am one of them. In fact, recently, I had the great chance to watch a flamenco dance show in Thessaloniki. Here you can find the interview with Chris Mittas, one of the dancers in the Pellizco Studio Flamenco, speaking about flamenco, his impressions and arts in general.
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Hi, Chris! Are you ready? Not always, but I am. Do you remember which was the first moment when you started thinking: “I would like to be a professional dancer”? I went to Spain and, when I returned, the experiences that I had there made me start thinking; I was feeling a very strong connection between me and Spain. It was never just flamenco but the whole philosophy behind it. I was 24 years old when I was in Seville, Spain; I stayed there for a few weeks with a very well known dancer – Valeria Saura. Then I got back to Greece and I was with my friend Flora with whom I was enjoying some drinks and talking about Spain and Flamenco. Afterwards, we started dancing and making choreographies. Since that moment, I started thinking I had to start doing it! By the way I can easily say I didn’t choose flamenco but it chose me! That’s a very sweet story. Can you describe me your relation with dance, what attracts you to do it and what it gives to you? First of all my relationship with flamenco is a
dark one because it helps me to express feelings and thoughts that I am not able to conceive consciously. I feel like the songs are a blanket that warms my present. When I dance I feel like I am going out for a drink to a really nice place. What is the best place where you have danced? It was last year when I was performing in Algeria. It was a very joyful dancing. I liked it so much 10 because while I was dancing I was feeling safe, as my “dark side” would not come out. I enjoyed every single moment so much. What is your advice to the young people working in the field of arts? I just can tell they must take risks and not to be afraid. Also I can advice them not to judge themselves too much. Where can we watch your performances? We hope to go to some festivals in Greece and not only! We are planning some important events. While I was searching in the Internet dancers quotes I found Lucy Bowen Mc Cavey’s aphorism: “Dance is for everyone regardless of age or ability” and I really liked it. Do you have any motto? Yes, there is one that I like a lot:”Those who are dancing are thought to be crazy by those who can’t hear the music.” This is an advice that I try to keep for myself. If the dance was a color, which color it would be for you? And which color would you be? If the dance was a color it would be deep blue because it’s so mysterious and it doesn’t belong to this world. If I was a color, I would be emerald because ….think about it! It’s very hard to explain. Okan Atalay
MULTI-KULTI KITCHEN
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Ajvar and Proja by Tanja from Serbia
During winter, in my country, in each home you can feel the smell of exceptional meals which we call ZIMNICA. The smell I prefer is the one of AJVAR. It is so delicious that you would even lick your fingers. Literally! But also Prota is very tasty!
For Ajvar, we need: 5 kg of long red peppers, 500 g of eggplants, 250 g of oil and salt to taste. First, wash the peppers then dry them and bake them either on the stove or on the barbecue. 13 Do the same with the eggplants. Peel both the peppers and the eggplants. Grind them. Put them all in a pot and add oil and salt. Cook until the oil is absorbed. Pour in little heated jars.
For Proja, which is a corn bread, we need to mix one cup of white flour, 1 cup of corn flour, 1 cup of oil, 1 cup of yogurt, 2 eggs, 300 g of cheese, some spinaches and 1 sachet of baking powder. Put them all it into a greased mold and bake it at 230 Celsius degrees for half an hour. ENJOY!
Annemiek Schrijver
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ere we are! Next stop: Mount Olympus! Let’ s go to Makedonia K.T.E.L. bus station and take the bus to Litohoro (one way 8,00 euro, return 14,00 euro, the trip lasts 1 hour 15 minutes), and after 90 km we will arrive at the base of Mount Olympus. The house of Gods is the main attraction of the region and, with its 2919m, is the highest mountain in Greece. Climbing the Mount Olympus is not an easy task (even though the shelters are well organized to host climbers - one night with a bed costs 3 euro), but don’t panic: at the base of the Mount there is a wonderful canyon that you can visit walking for 10 km among trees, butterflies and water mirrors... don’t lose this opportunity! How to come back? Easy: hitchhiking!! We are in the land of hospitality!
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Michela Gennari
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preparation, implementation, evaluation and follow-up activity may last up to 15 months. Place: -Project can take place either in EU Country or in Neighboring Partner Country involved in the project (except Mediterranean Partner Countries). Types of Youth Exchanges: -Bilateral, trilateral and multilateral exchanges; -Bilateral exchanges are intended for partner groups which have not organized Youth Exchanges before; -Multilateral, i.e. minimum 4 countries are involved (at least 2Â partners from Neighboring Partner Countries are requested). outh Exchanges facilitate an encounter of young people from different countries and backgrounds, providing them the unique opportunity to get to know each other, discuss and confront various themes, building an atmosphere of understanding and respect for other cultures and national differences, through non-formal education methods.
Theme: -The Youth Exchange must have a thematic concept, which the partner groups wish to explore together of its relevance to their everyday experience. The chosen theme should be translated into the concrete daily activities of the exchange schedule. Examples of topics are: participation of young people in society, fight against racism & xenophobia, inter-ethnic and 18 What are the aims of Youth Exchange? inter-religious dialogue, post-conflict resolution -Promoting the fundamental European values and reconstruction, heritage and environmental to young people, in particular respect for human protection. dignity, equality, tolerance and non-discrimination, including young people with disabilities; Partners: -Fostering the mobility of young people in Europe; -At least one EU Member State must be involved; -Developing intercultural learning within the -Projects should aim at a balance between youth field; the number of Program Countries and EECA -Encouraging initiative, enterprise and creativity; Countries involved; -Providing non-formal and informal learning -A partner group must be: opportunities with a European dimension and -a non-profit organization or association or creating innovative opportunities in connection -a local or regional public body or with active citizenship, especially for the young - an informal group of young people. people with fewer opportunities.
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Formal criteria: Participants: -16-60 participants, aged between 13 and 25 (group leader(s) not included); -A small number of participants of a group may be between 25-30. Duration: -The duration of the exchange activity must be between 6-21 days, excluding travel; -The whole duration of a project, including
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World Environment Day in Ano Poli (Upper) Thessaloniki
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he Hellenic Society for the Protection of the Environment and the Cultural Heritage branch office in Thessaloniki organized a special event for the World Environment Day (5th of June) and Ayse and Christina were there! The Hellenic Society’s (H.S.P.E.) branch in Thessaloniki is situated in Ano Poli (Upper) Thessaloniki in an exemplary restored building with its traditional – full of flowers – yard. On the 5th of June the Society opened its doors to welcome all of us in a conversation on ‘the environment of our neighborhood in Ano Poli’. Walking routes, reconstruction of sidewalks and public squares, sign placement and the creation of cultural walks from the city center towards Ano Poli and the Acropolis walls were some of the suggestions made during the conversation. In a friendly atmosphere, elected municipals, archaeologists, architects and residents of Ano Poli exchanged ideas and proposals for a better and functional neighborhood, providing better information to those tourists who wish to walk up to the highest part of the old core of Thessaloniki. United Societies of Balkans, situated in the outskirts of both Ano Poli and the Acropolis walls, having an interest in the projection and promotion of the upper and old part of Thessaloniki through the eyes of youth is eager to support such initiatives and is looking forward to collaborate in every possible way. With the night fall, the welcoming event ended with a glass of wine and traditional meze (appetizers) made by the members and friends of the Hellenic Society. The Thessaloniki Branch of the Hellenic Society has been active in the city since 1991 when it started to activate campaigns to protect and promote the cultural heritage and the environment. Its mission and objectives is to raise awareness on the values of the natural and cultural environment and promote the protection and the rehabilitation of these both kinds of heritage within the framework of sustainable development.
Christina Kontaxi
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Europe Day, 9th May very year on Europe Day all the European Union Institutions open their doors to the public and a variety of activities, ranging from visits and debates to concerts, are organized by local European Union offices for the citizens of all ages.
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9th May is actually the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration. During a speech in Paris in 1950 the French minister Robert Schuman initiated the idea of forming a political cooperation with Europe in order to ensure that the European countries would have no more wars. His idea was to establish a European Institution to pool and manage the production of some materials. One year after, a treaty for the establishment of such a body was signed. Schuman’s proposal is considered to be the beginning of the European Union.
countries as a symbol of new cooperation in Europe and as a new beginning of the European Union. Along with the pupils, the teachers, the parents, the volunteers of the Youth Club of Evosmos and Ms Natasa Dedousi, the representative of the Hellenic National Agency, participated in the event. The participants in the event also had the chance to get information about the possibilities that European Union presents to the youth.
Another event was organized at the Aristotle Square by Eurodesk Greece, Europe Direct and Thessaloniki Youth Capital 2014. At the stands which were opened in the square, Eurodesk informed the citizens about youth mobility and youth projects, Europe Direct gave information On Europe Day the member states celebrate about Greece’s presidency of the EU in 2014, peace and unity in Europe. The aim of Europe and Thessaloniki European Capital 2014 gave Day is to give the citizens the opportunity to information on youth projects in the context of discover the EU Institutes and EU activities Thessaloniki’s being the European Youth Capital around the world, to learn about their rights and in 2014. to strengthen the sense of being a European citizen. The theme of Europe Day 2013 was the topic of European Citizenship which is also the main theme of the European Year of Citizens 2013. This year, Brussels opened the doors of EU Institutions early with a debate in order to give the citizens the chance to discover how the Parliament works. European Commission, European External Action Service, European Economic and Social Committee and many other institutes in Brussels, Strasbourg and all around Europe opened their doors, as well, for visits, debates and discussions in order to raise European awareness. Many lectures, festivals, competitions and other events were organized. (Source: European Union) Europe Day 2013 in Thessaloniki On Europe Day, a tree planting event was organized by the Hellenic National Agency and Eurodesk Greece in the 6th Intercultural School of Evosmos. During the event, many trees seedlings were planted in the garden of the 6th Intercultural School by the pupils who came from different Ayse Burcu Atabey
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Multi-Lingual Festival coming from very different backgrounds and here in Greece they must find a way to live in harmony between each other. Together with the diversity of languages goes the cultural diversity. The education is a strong tool to contribute to the integration of the immigrants through structures that are also open to the cultures from which the children come from.
etween the 1st and 9th June, the Municipality of Thessaloniki organized the Language Festival “Thessaloniki, a Multilingual City”. A lot of countries presented their languages at the festival including Greece, Serbia, Russia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Bulgaria, Albania, Slovakia, Romania, Finland and Italy. They had their promotion stands and participated 23 in a number of related events. Cultural and educational communities, foreign institutes and societies, as well as specialized public speakers talked about the languages and cultures of their countries. They also invited citizens and children to discover and get used to the sounds, the letters, the scripts of different languages and the cultural history that accompanies them.
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The “Multilingual Festival” was an invitation for both the young and the older people to discover the diversity and the cultural richness of languages by participating in workshops, activities, friendly and spontaneous conversations and round tables with native speakers of every language. Languages have a great role not only for communication but also for building identity, social integration, education and development. There is a growing awareness about the role that languages play in ensuring cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, but also in building inclusive knowledge societies and preserving cultural heritage.
The USB team took part in the festival creating a video dedicated to children coming from diverse linguistic backgrounds – Albania, Georgia, and Russia, speaking about their life in Greece. Most of them consider themselves integrated in the Greek society; in fact they like their everyday life here! They are a good example of how prejudices can be overcome and, despite the differences, harmony can be achieved. The languages of the daily environment of the children, that took part in the video, are a mix of their mothertongues, the languages they study at school and the Greek language; all of them are equally valuable and important to build their identity. Knowing different languages is an advantage but in many cases causes misunderstanding, confusion, discrimination and bullying against the immigrants. Most of the children to whom we talked seek contacts with other immigrants because they feel more comfortable in this environment. Many of them get confused as they communicate in different languages with their friends, at school, at home. Through intense interaction with the immigrant community, the second-generation becomes more and more familiar with the immigrant community and its language. At the same time, however; they become thoroughly acquainted with the language and the culture of their society of settlement. This acclimatization occurs through informal contacts but also through their participation at school. In this way this the second generation develops a lifestyle that combines different identities.
The multilingual landscape of Thessaloniki is rich; there are a lot of second-generation immigrants Philipa Nikolova
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Refugees in numbers: Around the world today there are 43.3 million forcibly displaced people. Among these, 27.1 million are internally displaced (IDP) and 15.6 million are refugees. Afghanistan is the leading country of origin for refugees. 2.9 million Afghans live in 71 countries as refugees; Most of them live in Pakistan or Iran. Four out of five refugees are settled in developing countries. 16 % of the refugees are settled in Europe. Pakistan takes inthe highest number of refugees in the world: 1.7 million. Colombia is the first county in the word with the most internally displaced people: 3.3 million people. African countries account for 40 % of all IDPs. Conflicts in the Democratic republic of Congo, Sudan and Somalia are crucial factors.
World Refugee Day, June 20th day on which we celebrate the courage and resilience of the 45.2 million people(by the end of 2012) who are forced to live torn away from their homes and apart from their friends and relatives.
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The asylum system in Greece is not really working - every week hundreds of people are waiting in Petrou Ralli in Athens to apply for asylum and only 20 applications are preceded every week. Why is there such a limited access to asylum procedures? Are This is a record number for the last 18 years. War there any strategies to improve the lacks of remains the main cause of displacement. 55% the system? Is Greece searching for support of all refugees come from just five countries that from big international organizations? are in conflict: Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Iraq and Sudan. The first Directives of the Common European The focus of World Refugee Day 2013 was on the Asylum System (CEAS) set the minimum impact of war on families. The core message was standards of the asylum procedure in Europe, but “1 family torn apart by war is too many.” Every the interpretation of this was left to the national minute there are 8 new people who are forced to laws of the different EU countries. This lack of leave their homes. That’s 11,520 people per day, clarity allowed Greece to misinterpret CEAS which means just over 4.2 million a year. guidelines and delay their implementation. The Greek legislation on immigration and asylum was In all over the world on the 20th June there unclear until 2007, with the first transposition of are events to honor the courage, strength and the Directive on reception conditions for asylum determination of women, men and children who seekers. Unfortunately, the state still lacks a are forced to flee from their homelands under sufficient asylum policy. The limited access threat of persecution, conflict and violence and to asylum procedure (thousands of pending to recognize the richness and diversity they bring applications) is highly linked to the already to our societies. existing policies of Greece. Until recently, the responsible bodies for the lodge of an asylum To celebrate the World Refugee Day, in application were the police departments, mostly 25 Thessaloniki’s City Hall a festival was organized. in Thessaloniki and Athens. According to the Many NGOs took part in the event, together with new law 3907/2011 on common standards and the refugee and asylum seekers community. procedures in Member States for returning There was a discussion, a photo exhibition, illegally staying third-country nationals” and documentaries, Senegalese and Afghani cuisine, other provisions, from June 2013, Greece is live music and dances. The Senegalese and in the process of establishing its new Asylum Afghani communities are the most active and Service. The austerity measures and the cuts numerous in Thessaloniki. in the public sector have limited the capability of Greece to exercise an effective social policy The challenges faced by refugees in Greece are for asylum seekers, and hire well equipped widely known. There are serious deficiencies personnel. Fortunately, the support of various during every stage of the refugee experience, big international organizations are alleviating from arrival at the borders till the implementation the problems and assisting the state to establish of a final asylum decision. some facilities. Here is the interview with Kakia Karadiamandi from the NGO “Antigone” (Information and Documentation Centre on Racism, Ecology, Peace and Non Violence) based in Thessaloniki. Ms. Karadiamandi tells us about the situation in Greece.
Do you think that, if The Dublin Regulation - that requires asylum-seekers to be send by force to the first country they entered upon arrival in the EU - will be changed, the situation will get better? Do you see this happening in the next years? In my way of thinking, this regulation has turned the countries of the external borders of the EU to “huge storages of people” so it must be revised. This provision creates problems both to the states
World Refugee Day, June 20th that receive an inappropriate number of asylum seekers and refugees, and both to themselves, who are trying to find a safe place to live. The unwillingness of the central-European and northEuropean states to share the responsibility of hosting an equal number of refugees is a unequivocal proof that the foundations of the EU (e.g. solidarity) are under threat. The Member States should be more sensitive to assist the ones that experience several challenges in order to manage the people seeking asylum. As far as I am concerned, only Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, Malta, and Spain, are in favor of the change of the Dublin’s provision. This fact leaves little hope for the future improvement of the situation.
that we are in the era of violation of human rights and securitization. In any case, Greece is in dire need of more measures that will assist the state to overcome its humanitarian crisis. Which is the biggest problem – the dysfunctional asylum system that doesn’t permit access to procedure in addition with the lack of detention centers and money, the legislation itself or the growing racism? In my opinion the main problem is the combination of the aforementioned issues; I cannot distinguish among them, but I will try to prioritize them. First of all, the legislation regarding asylum is still unclear and complicated. Hence we need to adopt a legislation that defends the rights of asylum seekers and refugees. Thereafter, the implementation of this piece of law should be done according to international standards. The policy and the practice of the Ministry of Order and Citizens Protection have been characterized as harsh and inhumane. The rise of the extreme right and of all forms of racism across the country constitutes an alarming sign. The Greek society is also moving to a dead end. Racism will not solve any problem. It will just divide the people, 26 according to their origin.
Is it that Greece doesn’t have any proper administrative capacity to receive the asylum seekers or there is no will to improve it? Is there a lack of money or of willingness to use the money in the right way? For instance, in 2012, the EU provided €90 million to help contain refugees within Greece borders; most of this financing goes to the borders security and the expansion of detention facilities. Furthermore, only €4 million were made available for measures to assist in the “integration of third country nationals” or for the support of accredited refugees. Is there any relation between the acts of violence towards the immigrants and the In Greece, the problems concerning the crisis? Do you think that the economic reception of asylum seekers are multiple. Many crisis is turning into a humanitarian one? NGOs have criticized the practices of the Greek state: its cumbersome bureaucracy and the It’s not an economic crisis anymore. It’s a rough transposition of the mainly EU asylum humanitarian one. The implications of the directives through Presidential Decrees. Various financial distress have aggravated the social academics have pointed out that the real cause tensions intensifying the hostilities among for this problematic policy is the lack of political different groups and the social exclusion, of will to address the issue in a responsible manner, several people. It’s unbelievable how the crisis based on human rights. The recent economic has turned us into “monsters”. We do not care turmoil accentuates the troubled situation. about the others plus we are trying to harm them The support of the EU is vital for the proper because we do not like them and we think that implementation of the CEAS, but the allocation they are criminals, thieves, etc. From one point of of these funds does not alleviate the inhuman view, the rise of violence towards the immigrants reception conditions. The lack of a simplified indicates the anger of the Greek people against system, with less bureaucratic obstacles, that the politicians who rule the country, from another allocates the funds, directly, according to the point, it highlights their inner thoughts that are needs, amount to breach of numerous articles of totally racist and discriminatory. We should be international treaties (e.g. Refugee Convention). angry with ourselves and the choices we made, The shift of the EU about protection of the not with the migrants who are an easy target to borders via the FRONTEX to manage the influx blame for the hard situation that we are facing of the asylum seekers in its territory confirms now. Philipa Nikolova
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The Antiracism Festival
he Antiracism festival in Thessaloniki is one of the biggest and most important events in the city. This year on the 5th, 6th, and 7th of July was its 16th edition – a celebration of arts, solidarity, diversity and unity.
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This year all of the NGOs in Thessaloniki dedicated present human rights, migration and antiracism with stands and different activities; furthermore also the biggest immigrant communities (Albanian, Senegalese, Turkish, Afghan, Spanish, and Bangladesh) were participating presenting their culture through music, dances, theatre and cuisine. The Antiracism festival lives behind a lot of initiatives: there were discussions about the Halkidiki Golden mines, LGBT rights, and citizenship rights of the children. On Saturday, there was a big event dedicated to some uprising events around the world, involving fighters from Turkey, Bulgaria, Sweden, Portugal and Italy. 60 collectives of immigrant communities, trade unions, anti-racist groups, 32 workshops, discussions and meetings, 27 ensembles, about 28 30 films and documentaries, 12 theatrical and dance performances, 7 shows, 9 shows and events for children, 10 sport events 8 taverns, and much more… These are the numbers: behind them there are hundreds of Greeks who decided to change the situation, ready to fight for a brighter and more peaceful future; immigrants and refugees showing their will to become part of the Greek society; a euphoric crowd celebrating the “peace, love and unity” by carrying out in action these desired concepts.
Philipa Nikolova
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Brief description of the project The “investment” plan of HELLAS GOLD SA includes the existing mine in “Mavres Petres”, a new open pit and underground mine in “Skouries”, an underground mine in “Olympiada”. The phases of the projects in brief: • Deforestation of a forest area greater than 2.5 square kilometres • Surface crater mining (open pit) • Tailing dams, buildings and ancillary facilities • Nine boreholes for drainage • Open pit mining of 24,000 tons per day • Transfer, pre-crushing and deposit of ore in covered storage area • Trituration - chemical processing (enrichment) of ore • Transferring of the final product to the metallurgical factory
The Dimensions of Xalkidikì Golden Mine
Political dimension In January 2004, the assets of the Cassandra Mines (N.E. Halkidiki, Greece) of TVX HELLAS S.A., were transferred by law, ratified by the Greek Parliament, to the Greek State for 11 million euros. They were sold with the same law to HELLAS GOLD S.A. for the same price without prior economic assessment of the assets and without an open competition. The assets include mining and exploration concessions covering 317 square kilometres. The concession exempts the company from any transfer tax or other taxes and relieves it in advance from any financial obligations concerning environmental damage resulting from previous operation of mines. The European Commission has decided that the terms of the contract amount to an illegal State aid in favour of the company equivalent to 15.3 million euros. The Greek government immediately appealed for an annulment of the decision while the hearing of the appeal is pending to date. Hellas Gold S.A., today 95% owned by the international gold producer Eldorado Gold Corporation based in Vancouver, has a market capitalization of 2.3 billion euros and the value of the minerals in Halkidiki is estimated to 15.5 billion euros. According to the Greek Mining Regulation the mining company has full possession of the minerals contained in the concessions granted and there are no royalties for the State. Environmental Impact Assessment (E.I.A.) According to independent scientific institutes, the company’s E.I.A. has many problems. There are deficiencies in the documentation, incomplete scientific data and problematic methodologies, deviations from the procedures of the European Commission and misinterpretation of statutory limits of pollutants. In July 2011 the Greek State approved the E.I.A., after a shockingly ostensible public consultation.
Economic dimension A United Nations report concerning economic and social development in the world observes that countries which export raw materials such as ores grow at a slower pace and diverge from developed economies. In theory, mining activity can be sustainable only if it does not alter the character of a region, and developmental if it is carried out in the overall interest of society. This amounts the assurance of public interest, the existence of reliable inspection mechanisms, and long-term preponderance of overall benefits over negative impacts. None of those criteria are met by the “investment” plan of the Hellas Gold S.A. Instead it is estimated that this is a definitive and irreversible major destruction of physical capital at local, national and European level and a violent alteration of the region’s development model. The positive economic externalities are absent; while the negative externalities will continue having an impact on other economic activities for several years after the mining operation has ended. One argument frequently used to support the mining activities is job creation in the region. Not only are those jobs limited to the duration of the 30 mining operations, but they also compete with the other economic activities in the region, such as: Tourism: The contribution of tourism to GDP of Northeast Halkidiki is estimated at 15-20%; the mining activity will bring a fatal blow to the touristic character of the area. Agricultural sector: Halkidiki shows significant activity in the agricultural sector. There are 108.9 square kilometres of farmland and 276 square kilometres of pasture land, organic farming, fishing and aquaculture. A significant contribution to the local economy is also managed thanks to wood logging, forest fruits, game preys and aromatic herbs. All these activities are at fatal risk due to the deforestation of Kakkavos Mountain, the drying up of the aquifer, dust that impedes the vital functions of plants, acid runoffs, and bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the food chain. The aspect of social welfare in the case of gold mining is practically zero. According to the Greek Mining Regulation, the mining company has full possession of the ore contents and there are no royalties, meaning zero profits for the State.
The Dimensions of Xalkidikì Golden Mine and fauna with rare, endangered and strictly protected, by international conventions, species. Deforestation and forest drainage of the aquifer is a threat to ecosystems within a radius of several kilometres from the site; furthermore, the pollution of the marine environment by mining pollutants and the construction and operation of a large-scale industrial port would damage the quality of sea water both as a natural habitat of marine organisms as well as bathing waters. Human health The mining activity poses serious risks for workers, Environmental impacts residents and visitors to the region. Workers in Water resources gold mines have a lower life expectancy: they The Kakkavos Mountain supplies water to the often suffer from many kinds of cancer, pulmonary entire N.E. Halkidiki. The proposed mining activity tuberculosis, pleural diseases, malaria, dengue will directly and irreversibly affect the region’s fever, and hearing loss, increased prevalence water resources. If the mining project proceeds, of bacterial and viral infections, diseases of the fresh water pumping in “Olympiada” will reach blood, skin and musculoskeletal system. 663 m below sea level, which will cause saltwater intrusion to the coastal aquifer. Social Impacts Atmosphere The impact of mining on local communities can The air pollution estimates found in E.I.A. violate be devastating. Most notable are the disruption the statutory limits for gaseous and particulate of social cohesion, internal migration due to pollutants. Only in “Skouries” the particulate loss or deterioration of economic activities. It emissions are estimated to 430 t / y PM10, with is generally accepted that multinational mining high concentrations of heavy metals, particularly companies follow certain tactics aiming at 31 arsenic. The ore dust production contains sulphur ensuring social license. Specifically, they seek compounds such as heavy metals antimony, alliances with friendly adjacent local authorities arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, and groups who do not represent anyone but iron, manganese, nickel, lead, mercury, zinc, are easily manipulated - gradually creating a etc... Being volatile, these atmospheric pollutants rupture in the social network - while they finance will be transported over long distances causing compensatory social projects. They consider extreme degradation to the adjacent areas. submitted job applications as referendums in Soil their favour and they purchase strategic land. Soil is considered a non-renewable natural They use aggressive methods against opposing resource. In almost all countries that operate citizens’ groups, such as terrorism, violence, or have operated gold mines, the land adjacent blackmails, infiltration, surveillance, lawsuits to mines, and even land at a great distance, that exhaust these groups’ finances, spread of remains contaminated with heavy metals false rumours, manufacturing of false crimes and for several decades after the closure of the trumped-up charges, even death threats. Finally, mines. The decrease in soil pH makes the soil they use private security while they closely unsuitable for organisms and plant growth plus cooperate with militias and public police forces. the mining activity will cause severe soil erosion Many, if not all, of these strategies are applied by with subsequent catastrophic flood events. Hellas Gold S.A. in NE Halkidiki. Ecosystems. The planned intervention is characterized as violent and will irretrievably change both the landscape and ecosystem functions. The area of exploitation covers 264 square kilometres with 90% forest cover. Much of it belongs to the NATURA 2000 network and other protected areas, with primeval forests and rich flora Giorgio Buonsante
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Türkiye Direniyor: The Colors of Change
Green Like a Tree It all started with Green. Gezi Parki, the green little heart of the city of Istanbul, was about to be destroyed. Trees and grass were knocked down by bulldozers of the Turkish Government and were being replaced by grey concrete slabs to build a future shopping mall. Turkish Prime Minister’s plan, to turn the capital of the four Empires grayer - ($4.7 billion were spent on ambitious construction projects last year 33 only in Istanbul (Hakura, 2013)) - was about to be brought forward. But there were people, people’s will to keep on seeing in their morning walks to work that little green around, people that still wanted to spend their off hours reading a book sitting on the only grass they still had in their daily surroundings, people that still wanted sometimes a waft of “green” air to breath. They sat on the grass using their bodies as barricade against the bulldozers. Their wills screamed out loud, peacefully. Preserving the last green lung in a grey surrounding it was such a strong will no one could defeat. Nobody… A “green manifesto” that in few hours was held up high as a symbol for a democracy call. A call with no answers from the Palace, unfortunately… Grey As Tear Gas Suddenly it went grey. Streets were tear-gassed. Water cannons came in. Brutality overcame every Human Right. Children, women, young and old people cried for their last will. Their tearful eyes were still on the streets, day and night. They did not sleep. They did not step back. Not even one millimeter. Many times they already did. So long accustomed to step back or even not to step in at
all to manifest their will, to express their feelings. This quiet generation and the ones that preceded it feel now the need to give up the apathy carried till now. The color of its future will be different. They took their brushes and started to paint it. Burak, our friend and EVS Volunteer in Thessaloniki, could not stand watching from distance what his fellow countrymen were suffering. He just couldn’t. He left and took a bus to Istanbul and stood still on Taksim Square. He joined the crowd manifesting its will. He suffered with his people, veiled, shared everything, escaped from the tear-gassed streets and experienced a terrible violence. “I’ve never seen something like that happening in my country. I’ve never seen people helping each other in that way. We shared everything; old ladies were feeding us, young people were carrying fruits, water and all kinds of food in the square to help all these people to resist together. We were peaceful, we never attacked first. We just stood still and shout our rights out loud. They arrested us: doctors, lawyers, journalists and normal people who were just standing on the way. They killed people. I believe we already won our battle, we woke up, we showed them we are here and we just won’t obey, we never will from now on...” Not even acknowledging it, they made a decision for their life and their country. They stepped in for good. In the mist of the grey streets, they walked, they slept, they ate, they resisted and it seems they found their real bond to their mother land. United, they called out loud for Green. Government answered Grey. Media answered Black. Black as (Conventional) Media Nothing is happening. The world knows and sees it but nothing is happening. “Turkish (Conventional) Media are disconnected at the moment, try later.” This was the message sent to the public. Too weak… In a country that is ranked 154th in the last 2013 Press Freedom Index (Reporters Without Borders, 2013) and that “with a total of 72 media personnel currently detained of whom at least 42 journalists and four media assistants are being held in connection with their media work, Turkey is now the world’s biggest prison for journalists” (Reporters Without Borders, 2013) would you expect something else? Documentaries on penguin’s life and recipes were their way to report the shameful acts perpetrated by the
Türkiye Direniyor: The Colors of Change
Government to its people. As in the @-life we are living nowadays people would go black and everything would be erased the next morning. The nothing is happening strategy just failed before even being put into action. Social Media went White. Not blank. Just as white as they should be… People merged their real life as “çapulcu”1 in the streets of Turkey to their e-life on the web. Everything shared and connected. The world knew everything while it was happening. Live. No filters. The darkness had been exposed but the Government reinforced and whitened the souls of the thousands who were asking for their democratic rights to be respected, beating them up to dead. Red Like a Dress A swollen haze could not hide a Red dress against their own ruling class. The ones they elected. They could not stand them anymore. The last drop of an already full jar was spilled, it Green and slowly turned out being more and more Red. The resistance assumed a Red shape of a woman’s body. In her red summer dress and white bag, a sinless look and harmless behavior, was pepper sprayed by police officers while just passing by the park during the sit-in. She didn’t react. Stood still… Her curly hair in the wind moved by the air force of the sprayed gas, nothing more… But that Red shape gave the world the sense of gravity of what Turkish people have been suffering during those days of protests and discontent. People’s call for a real democracy, for a real right to express themselves in a peaceful way was not being accepted and even worst was contrasted by an unprecedented use of force and violence against whoever stood on the government’s way.
It is called participatory democracy. It seems there is no Turkish word to express this concept. Thus it does not exist in the eyes of the same PM that shout out loud his legitimacy as a democratically elected leader. Is it democratically acceptable to translate these acts into a legitimization of the tyranny of the electoral majority? This is absolutely not democracy, written in capital letter. This is not what People learnt at school. That’s why either they were part of that majority or not, they put on a Red dress and stood for their voice to be heard. What did they receive back instead? A fake democracy... The government democracy… The one written in lowercase letters… Just matter of writing… Matter of Human Rights… Matter of limits between life and death… Blank Like a new Canvas Here comes the blank. As when after a long night, sun appears again and its rays enlighten a colorless canvas. There were no colors upon it. Erased during the dark hours of the night… A palette full of colors that results in a blank canvas. Artists of their fate are still putting on their full effort to complete their masterpiece. Each day an explosion of colors has been put on the canvas that should be the manifesto of 34 a re-born Turkish society. A flood sprayed with full power cannons has been trying to cancel it. Over and over again… Not the minds of those artists. Not their wills. Nor their bonds… Neither their conscience. Turkiye Direniyor. Turkey is resisting, people are resisting and not only for their own rights to be recognized. They are resisting against themselves, their contradictions, their historical apathy, their autocracy, their customary laws, their dictatorial regime and electoral authoritarianism. People are sending a message to the world. They are reshaping their values. They are painting the streets with their own words. Their real meaning… Can still ballots legitimize any act called in the name of a presumed modern democracy? Rhetorical question… People cannot accept fake lessons anymore. They are teachers themselves and they are teaching on of the hardest lessons to their own leaders. Not just to them. They are creating a new political culture over the ashes of an old one that is not working anymore. This is scary. But it is a first step of a long road that needs to be run across.
Matteo Scarpa
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My city, our view: The Photovoice Project through the eyes and lens of a young photographer
ictures might in fact be the most intense form of communication. People often say that one picture is worth a thousand words. If that is true, I am going to try to condense numerous photographs of a few passionate people who came together in Thessaloniki, into a short article describing the way I view the unique experience of participating in The Photovoice Project: Through my eyes and my lens! It is safe to say that people who love photography share a secret simmering passion other than trying to capture the beauty of their surroundings. Every single person who advocates the power of photography can, in fact, agree that capturing something on film immortalizes it. Just by clicking a small button we found a way to preserve a moment in time and a part of our lives. Every photograph is the material proof of a moment that has passed, but still lingers and will live on through eternity. In my quest to find a way to learn as much as I can about the beautiful art form that is photography, I stumbled upon a refreshing workshop called Photovoice. The goal was simple and the method of teaching, powerful. It allows one to explore new ways of expressing themselves and their point of view. Not only through words or photographs,
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but a combination of the two‌ The concept 36 seemed intriguing so it was an ideal start for my exploration. A welcoming voice interviewed me before joining the project. The questions were both precise and intricate, but most importantly well thought out. I talked about the reasons I love photography and how I first came to know the project. Also, why I wanted to take part in this group program and how I thought I could contribute to the team. The first thing that came to mind during the interview was the pictures from my younger years that my father took of my sister and me with his camera. He was trying to capture the small things in our life that would lead to the big picture. Our first steps, the day my sister taught me how to ride a bike, our joined birthday parties and baking Christmas cookies with my mother were all memories captured on film thanks to my father’s love of photography. This was the reason I wanted to take part in the program and is the reason I love photography so dearly. That passion is what I can bring to the table. The first meeting was both interesting and nervewracking. All the participants gave off a sense of impatience and excitement. We wanted to explore the world of photography, dive deeper
My city, our view: The Photovoice Project through the eyes and lens of a young photographer
beyond the practical side, and get a different glimpse into the way only a camera can transform sceneries, portraits and still objects into art. The photographer in charge of the project shared the same passion and excitement as all of the participants. “A photograph doesn’t have to be impressive in order to impress someone”, he said. “Capturing the details of life and keeping in mind the main message you want to convey will help the person who views your photographs 37 feel what you felt, see what you saw”. That also helps them travel through space and time in your shoes. After explaining the principles of photography like aperture, ISO speed, shutter speed and so on, someone asked what was the correct way to take good pictures. The answer was as simple and reviving as photography itself is; “Practice, practice and then practice some more”. As Henri Cartier Bresson stated, “The first 10.000 photographs are your worst.” After that, one can only expect to get the hang of it. And so we did. After a few sessions of basic photography lessons that were filled with questions, answers, controversies and passionate discussions, it was about time to put theory to the test and actually practice our photography skills. Hours went by trying different settings and different angles of shooting the same subject, all while searching for a way to convey the city’s beauty and the city’s problems through our photography. The workshop was demanding and time consuming. Going through hundreds of photographs, choosing the most appropriate and representative ones, and going back to shoot the same scenery again using better techniques, settings and perspectives.
The goal of Photovoice was to capture our city and the way we view it through two different, diametrically opposite perspectives. One side was the positive one in which we were asked to promote the beauty of the city, the places we love, the characteristics of the city’s vibe and culture, and what general living in Thessaloniki feels like to us. The other side asked us to portray the negative side of the city. The problems, the omissions and any other aspect we felt could be improved with intervention and a more active role from the authorities in the city’s general revival. The goal was not to capture a perfect or ideal city, but a real one. The good, the bad and everything in between... After a long process of learning, assimilating new information and techniques, putting them into practice and at last choosing the final material we all agreed represented the city as well as possible, we reached the point of presenting our work to the city. A beautiful exhibition was set up in the in the heart of Thessaloniki’s youth scene where people had the chance to view our photographs and read the short stories describing the reasons why we chose these specific shots that accompanied them. Most importantly, the guest could mingle while exchanging opinions and impressions about the outcome and the actual purpose of the workshop. As all good things come to an end so did Photovoice Project in Thessaloniki 2013. When asked whether I enjoyed my experience I couldn’t help but spontaneously smile. There are moments in life when you realize that a chance is given and a motive is provided to take the first step and actually make a difference. Even if the step is quite small and the difference is barely noticeable every single bit counts. When trying to change the world small gestures result in bigger effects. Margaret Mead once said that “One should never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Photography is a way of capturing how you feel and preserving it long after the moment is gone. It’s not about the camera, the lens, the equipment or the technique. Photography is about seeing the beauty and finding a way to convey it. Thinking out of the box, out of the frame and sharing your moments with others.
Angeliki Mavromati
10 Days of MP3
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s it possible for 20 young people from 10 different countries to live together in an isolated place? Is the co-living of one Armenian, one Turkish and one Cypriot for 10 days possible? Is it achievable for an 18 year-old and a 30 year-old to cooperate in a working team? The “Multipliers for Peace in 3 Steps – MP3” project proved that all of what stated above can be succeeded. The training course “MP3”, which was held by the non-governmental organization “United Societies of Balkans” with the co-funding of European Program “Youth in Action”, took place in one of the most beautiful natural landscapes of Northern Greece, in Holomontas of Halkidiki. The participants were 20 youngsters from 10 different countries of Europe, Balkans and Caucasus. The
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project aimed at educating the participants on conflict management and peace through three steps: peace within ourselves, peace with the society, peace with the environment and with other countries. 20 youngsters from Armenia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, Denmark, Hungary, Cyprus, Turkey and Greece arrived in Thessaloniki on 20th May 2013. For most of the participants it was their first visit to Greece and particularly to the mountainous Halkidiki. From the introduction day, youngsters between 18-30 years old were so eager to share their personal experiences with each other and they exchanged information about their countries of origin.
10 Days of MP3
The same enthusiasm continued the next day, when the first workshops were held successfully. The main topic was the presentation and introduction of the seminar and its ultimate purposes. During the day, the participants got to know each other more through ice breaking games; the team spirit among them was created via group and trust building activities. The day continued with the welcoming evening by the locals of the village Taxiarhis. Then, the intercultural night was realized and the youngsters presented their traditional dishes. The night ended with dances and all the participants learnt some certain Greek words by the end of the night. The next days, the participants were asked to face greater challenges: first of all, would they actually achieve the first aim of the training? On the third day which was devoted to the issue of “peace within yourself” through group discussions, the participants found out the elements of three basic concepts of having a peaceful life: The art of living in peace with themselves, the art of living in peace with others and the art of living in peace with the nature. Then, via group work they made presentations about each concept, proposing some practical ideas. Going from general to particular, the trainees
were asked to answer some personal questions about self-esteem order to raise awareness of themselves. After all of these they had the chance to speak about deeply personal experiences and ideas which gave some clues about how they consider themselves with some other participants which gave them the possibility to discover others. Most of them were so surprised to see how similar they were in terms of approaching to the life and their own self. Maybe seeing different people with similar personal conflicts was the first step taken to being in peace in our minds. The last activity of the day was “Who am I?” in which the participants presented themselves to the others making use of visual tools: posters, pictures, colored pencils and some other handcraft materials. Some participants found incredibly creative and impressive ways to use these tools. The youngsters spent the night showing their artistic skills in another branch… Dancing! All them enjoyed listening and dancing to especially Greek music and some of them unfortunately became fan of some certain Greek pop stars, which seemed to have highly disappointed the Greek participants! The night continued with fun games through which the young participants 40 discovered more about each other! The next day, the subject was still “peace with yourself”-the basis for peace with others and nature- without which absolute peace could never be constructed. This day began with what was left from the day before: self-esteem. Firstly, the participants thought about what they wanted to work on to develop their self-esteem and found out realistic ways to obtain their goals in this context and then they shared them with the others. Can “Letting go off the past” be succeeded through writing your conflicts on a piece of paper and burning it in a fireplace? Is it that easy? Some may say “Of course no!” while our peace builders gave it a try in that morning. Maybe it worked, maybe not. Who knows? The rest of the day was devoted to emotions. First, the participants became aware of the concepts of action, feeling and emotion and thought about the reason why the emotions exist, what happens to us when we feel them and where we feel them. Then the trainers, who were professional psychologist and psychodramatists, gave the participants some practical tips for dealing with three basic emotions: sadness, fear and anger.
10 Days of MP3
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n the human sculpturing activity, which was quite funny, the participants “sculptured” emotions on the bodies of their friends and trying to grow empathy, guessed which emotion the other sculptures was showing-or maybe suffering from! The night, which was supposed to be the movie night, turned into a party night with the initiative of some Greek pop lovers. everybody joined and had a great time. On Friday morning, it was the day for “peace with nature” and was devoted to outdoor activities. The youngsters from different countries headed from Mountain Holomontas to a lovely town nearby, called Polygyros. They had the chance to meet the Mayor, Mr. Asterios Zografos, whose contribution to the successful finalization of the project was fundamental, to have a pleasant walk in the small town and to visit the Museum of Folklore Art. After the trip in Polygyros, the young participants were guided to a very nice beach of Halkidiki to enjoy a relaxing afternoon. At night, we were all ready to discover another
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unique aspect of the Greek culture: buzuki! Drinking, chatting, singing, dancing while listening to the sound of the traditional Greek notes, accompanied by Turkish words coming out of this miracle instrument which touches the heart... Thank you Fotini Karamouzi for preparing us such a nice Greek Night! And thanks to the locals of Taxiarhis for being there with us! On the sixth day, the subject was “peace with others”. The participants developed their communication and active listening skills with non-formal methods of interactive dialogue and role playing. That night, we had a Halloween party during which everybody turned into someone or something else. God and goddess of vine, Roma people, transsexuals, painters and “Arises” were all over the place. While the entire world was relaxing on a Sunday morning, our peace builders worked on conflict resolution starting from the concept of conflict itself and then examining the elements of their own conflicts trying at the end to find some solutions.
10 Days of MP3 irst of all, they were informed about types of conflict, then thinking about their own conflicts they personalized the subject; separating the certain conflict into small parts they learned new ways to approach and simplify it. After this they shared some ideas about conflict resolution tactics. The movie night was realized late on that day. We watched a movie called “The Dictator” in which the protagonist is most probably a Middle Eastern dictator who accidentally finds himself in another life away from all the politics and during which he discovers the pure joys of it. Watching this amusing movie was maybe a good preparation for the next day when the participants built their new perfect world. Next day, the day of “intercultural peace”, a simulation game, taking intercultural dialogue as the subject, was played and two different perspectives of dealing with conflicts were presented by talented participants who were leading us to grow empathy towards all the figures in a conflict and to find practical and peaceful solutions through role-play. Then, split in two groups, the peace builders created their new perfect world considering all the previous work and focusing on the ways to especially morals to live together in peace. In the afternoon going for a walk around the mountain, the participants came again into contact with the local community and had the chance to see the local products such as olive oil soaps, herbal extracts and herbal teas visiting the local enterprise of herbs cultivation. During the night which was spent playing some games, you could hear some laughs coming from outside and see some crazy people going around in the darkness wearing blankets covering them! On the 9th day, the participants coming from the same countries worked on their national conflicts and made some presentations about them. Everybody was surprised to learn that all the countries involved had more or less the same problems. Furthermore, the Turkish were highly embarrassed by the fact that all the countries had conflicts with them. In the afternoon, the “Thess EVS” documentary by USB and a video presenting the past version of the same training course was shown. The visit to the Women Dance Association of the region and the party in a local club were the last contacts with the local community during the project.
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On the last day, new project ideas for the future were discussed and created by the trainees. After a busy afternoon focused on evaluation and Youthpass, the participants got their certificates from their secret friends in the evening; the emotional farewell was realized and the peacebuilders had the last chance to spend time altogether. The challenge of T.C. MP3, transferring knowledge of peace and conflict management to the young participants whose countries are filled with stereotypes might not seem easy. Nevertheless, the participants went further beyond than the expected outcome of the training course through all these days. During the 10 days of project implementation, 20th – 30th May, 2013, the 20 young participants established strong bounds, built their own community in the village of Taxiarhis, and returned home full of experiences and unforgettable memories. Maybe all these experiences can be resumed in participants’ goodbye messages: “simply ... THANK YOU! Thanks for the laughs, thank you for sharing your experiences, thank you for every single moment!” 42
Ayse Burcu Atabey & Jelena Vujanovic
“The Journey of Life: After EVS”
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nd after EVS, what? United Societies of Balkans took the initiative to organize a 2 days seminar called “The Journey of Life: After EVS”, on 25th & 26th May, exclusively for the organization’s EVSers, about the opportunities that EVSers have about their opportunities after the realization of their voluntary service. The main reason for the organization of the seminar was the will of U.S.B. for its volunteers to take advantage of the capabilities and skills that they acquired during their voluntary service in order to succeed their personal and professional evolution when they return back to their countries. During the seminar, young participants made a brief review of their professional choices till that moment, and they were informed about all
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the “Youth in Action” Programs and specifically about EVS (European Voluntary Service). They also discussed about true stories of EVSers who took advantage of their voluntary experience in order to disengage themselves from difficult situations; EVSers who used all the new acquired skills, knowledge and experiences in a renewed environment, which they created for their own benefit and for the “rebuilding” of their lives. Finally, participants received training about techniques of being successful in a professional interview and they all participated in a simulated interview. The seminar was held in Mountain Holomontas, Halkidiki, with the organization financial contribution. Coordinator of the seminar was the EVS volunteers’ mentor Olympia Datsi.
Page 7-9: spiritofburgas.com bestfest.ro/editia2013 exitfest.org gucafestival.rs Page 10: Chris Mittas Page 11: Source of history of Flamenco: http://www.gypsyrumor.com Page 12: sihirliparmaklarr.blogspot Page 13: zena.blic.rsreceptirecepti Page 15: makingthemodernworld Page 16-17: commons.wikimedia Page 19: Salto Youth http://www.salto-youth.net/rc/eeca/eecacooperation/eecaa3-1a/eecaye Page 23: europa.eu/about-eu/basic-information/symbols/europe-day/index_en.htm Page 24: greeknews You can find the video of USB about the Multilingual Day through the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuvDtsE3Pn4 Page 25: This data follows the UNHCR “Global Trends 2012” report. Sources UNHCR, Amnesty International. Page 28-29: Philipa Nikolova & Anush Sabedi Page 30: hirportal.sikerado.hu, homecomingbook.files Page 31: Stefania Mizara Page 32: the big story Page 30-32 Bibliography N. Varsakelis, Associate Professor of Industrial Policy AUTH (2012). Comments on Economics of the EIA of the “HELLAS GOLD S.A.” Carlos Zorrilla (2009). Protecting your community against mining companies and other extractive organizers. Alexis Benos, Professor of Hygiene, Social Medicine, Medical School of Aristotle University. The impacts on health from large scale mining activities such as gold mining. Giannakoudakis Andreas, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (2011). Incompatible economic activities. Dimitris Melas, Associate Professor of Environmental Physics AUTH. Comments on the impact on the environment as described in the EIA of “HELLAS GOLD S.A.” Department of Tourism Management, Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki (2012). The effects on tourism profile of NE Halkidiki from the perspective of gold mining operations. United Nations (2006). World Economic and Social Survey. European Commission (2008). Guide to Cost Benefit Analysis of Investment Projects. Amnesty International (2012). October’s 2012 Report (Index: EUR 01/022/2012). Page 33: Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images Page 35: Osman Orsal 1 Chapulling (Turkish: çapuling) is a neologism coined from Prime Minister Erdoğan’s use of the term çapulcu (roughly translated to “looters”) to describe the protestors. Many took the concept further by integrating the unique nature of the demonstrations and defined it as “to act towards taking the democracy of a nation to the next step by reminding governments of their reason for existence in a peaceful and humorous manner.” (Wikipedia) Page 40-43:
Logo MP3 by Michalis Kontopirakis Graphic Designer
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